Systems and methods for a media content user interface. A media content provider includes storage for storing and serving video content to subscribers. The media content provider records and or otherwise stores video content from around the world. Subscribers are provided a user interface to the system that includes a side bar. The user interface provides context sensitive hints to assist the viewer. The system also tracks a viewer's viewing history in a manner that allows the viewer to review and directly access any part of that history. Finally, magnetic points are created for use during video scrubbing to intelligently select relocation points for the current playback position.
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1. A method comprising:
at an electronic device in communication with a display and one or more input devices:
concurrently displaying, on the display:
a plurality of representations of content items that a user of the electronic device has viewed on the electronic device, wherein:
a first representation of a first content item of the plurality of representations has a current focus and is displayed at a first size, larger than a second size, and
the plurality of representations of content items includes a third representation of a third content item that is displayed at a third size; and
a representation of content from the first content item, wherein the plurality of representations of the content items are overlaid over the representation of the content from the first content item, wherein the representation is displayed before receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting the first representation of the first content item;
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, the input selecting the first representation of the first content item;
in response to receiving the input selecting the first representation of the first content item, playing, on the display, the first content item;
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item:
moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item;
after moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item, displaying the first representation of the first content item at the second size, smaller than the first size; and
after moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item, displaying the third representation of the third content item at a fourth size, larger than the third size.
17. An electronic device, comprising:
one or more processors;
memory; and
one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
concurrently displaying, on a display:
a plurality of representations of content items that a user of the electronic device has viewed on the electronic device, wherein:
a first representation of a first content item of the plurality of representations has a current focus and is displayed at a first size, larger than a second size, and
the plurality of representations of content items includes a third representation of a third content item that is displayed at a third size; and
a representation of content from the first content item, wherein the plurality of representations of the content items are overlaid over the representation of the content from the first content item, wherein the representation is displayed before receiving, via one or more input devices, an input selecting the first representation of the first content item;
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, the input selecting the first representation of the first content item;
in response to receiving the input selecting the first representation of the first content item, playing, on the display, the first content item;
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item:
moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item;
after moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item, displaying the first representation of the first content item at the second size, smaller than the first size; and
after moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item, displaying the third representation of the third content item at a fourth size, larger than the third size.
18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device in communication with a display and one or more input devices, cause the electronic device to perform a method comprising:
concurrently displaying, on the display:
a plurality of representations of content items that a user of the electronic device has viewed on the electronic device, wherein:
a first representation of a first content item of the plurality of representations has a current focus and is displayed at a first size, larger than a second size, and
the plurality of representations of content items includes a third representation of a third content item that is displayed at a third size; and
a representation of content from the first content item, wherein the plurality of representations of the content items are overlaid over the representation of the content from the first content item, wherein the representation is displayed before receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting the first representation of the first content item;
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, the input selecting the first representation of the first content item;
in response to receiving the input selecting the first representation of the first content item, playing, on the display, the first content item;
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item:
moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item;
after moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item, displaying the first representation of the first content item at the second size, smaller than the first size; and
after moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the third representation of the third content item, displaying the third representation of the third content item at a fourth size, larger than the third size.
2. The method of
3. The method of
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of the content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to a fourth representation of a fourth content item of the plurality of representations; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the fourth representation of the fourth content item:
scrolling through the plurality of representations of content items in accordance with the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the fourth representation of the fourth content item, including modifying positions of the plurality of representations of content items on the display.
4. The method of
5. The method of
the plurality of representations of content items;
the representation of the content from the first content item; and
an indication of a source of the first content item.
6. The method of
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. The method of
concurrently displaying, on the display:
the plurality of representations of content items;
the representation of the content from the first content item; and
an indication of a reason why the first content item is included in the plurality of content items.
10. The method of
concurrently displaying, on the display:
the plurality of representations of content items;
the representation of the content from the first content item; and
an indication of the user's past viewing activity of the first content item.
11. The method of
13. The method of
receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting the representation of the application; and
in response to receiving the input selecting the representation of the application, launching the application on the electronic device.
15. The method of
16. The method of
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of the content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to a second representation of a second content item; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the second representation of the second content item:
moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the second representation of the second content item;
ceasing the display of the representation of the content from the first content item; and
concurrently displaying, on the display, the plurality of representations of content items and a representation of content from the second content item.
19. The electronic device of
20. The electronic device of
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of the content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to a fourth representation of a fourth content item of the plurality of representations; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the fourth representation of the fourth content item:
scrolling through the plurality of representations of content items in accordance with the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the fourth representation of the fourth content item, including modifying positions of the plurality of representations of content items on the display.
21. The electronic device of
22. The electronic device of
the plurality of representations of content items;
the representation of the content from the first content item; and
an indication of a source of the first content item.
23. The electronic device of
24. The electronic device of
25. The electronic device of
26. The electronic device of
concurrently displaying, on the display:
the plurality of representations of content items;
the representation of the content from the first content item; and
an indication of a reason why the first content item is included in the plurality of content items.
27. The electronic device of
concurrently displaying, on the display:
the plurality of representations of content items;
the representation of the content from the first content item; and
an indication of the user's past viewing activity of the first content item.
28. The electronic device of
29. The electronic device of
30. The electronic device of
receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting the representation of the application; and
in response to receiving the input selecting the representation of the application, launching the application on the electronic device.
32. The electronic device of
33. The electronic device of
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of the content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to a second representation of a second content item; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the second representation of the second content item:
moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the second representation of the second content item;
ceasing the display of the representation of the content from the first content item; and
concurrently displaying, on the display, the plurality of representations of content items and a representation of content from the second content item.
34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of the content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to a fourth representation of a fourth content item of the plurality of representations; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the fourth representation of the fourth content item:
scrolling through the plurality of representations of content items in accordance with the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the fourth representation of the fourth content item, including modifying positions of the plurality of representations of content items on the display.
36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
the plurality of representations of content items;
the representation of the content from the first content item; and
an indication of a source of the first content item.
38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
39. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
40. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
41. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
concurrently displaying, on the display:
the plurality of representations of content items;
the representation of the content from the first content item; and
an indication of a reason why the first content item is included in the plurality of content items.
42. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
concurrently displaying, on the display:
the plurality of representations of content items;
the representation of the content from the first content item; and
an indication of the user's past viewing activity of the first content item.
43. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
44. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
45. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting the representation of the application; and
in response to receiving the input selecting the representation of the application, launching the application on the electronic device.
46. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
47. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
48. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of
while concurrently displaying the plurality of representations of content items and the representation of the content from the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to a second representation of a second content item; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to move the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the second representation of the second content item:
moving the current focus from the first representation of the first content item to the second representation of the second content item;
ceasing the display of the representation of the content from the first content item; and
concurrently displaying, on the display, the plurality of representations of content items and a representation of content from the second content item.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/390,377, with a filing date of Dec. 23, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/262,435, with a filing date of Apr. 25, 2014 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,532,111), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/109,658, with a filing date of Dec. 17, 2013, which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application 61/800,669, filed Mar. 15, 2013, and U.S. Patent Application 61/738,849, filed Dec. 18, 2012, the entire disclosures of which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all intended purposes.
This invention relates to multimedia systems, and more particularly, to delivery of media content.
For many years, broadcast television was the sole provider of video content to viewer's homes across the globe. As time has passed, and particularly with the advent of the Internet, numerous other sources of video content have arisen. In addition to broadcast television, cable television and satellite based television providers have begun providing access to video on demand and other audio and video content. In addition, special purpose set-top boxes, such as that provided by Roku®, provided a gateway for viewer's to access other sources of video content not provided by their television service provider. With such boxes, viewers were able to connect to these other content providers in order to obtain desired video content. At present, there are countless video providers in the marketplace. In addition, music and other audio content is available through various communication channels. Many are subscription based services, and some provide free content. While the explosion of video content providers in the marketplace may seem a boon for viewer's, the large number of choices and providers complicates the viewing experience.
In view of the above, improved media content delivery systems, methods and mechanisms are desired.
Systems and methods for a television service are contemplated.
A media content delivery service is contemplated that includes a data store for storing and serving video content to subscribers. Such a data store may comprise one or more data stores, distributed storage, peer-to-peer based storage, cloud based storage or otherwise. In various embodiments, the media content provider is configured to continually record and or otherwise acquire media content from around the world for storage. Video and audio content stored in the data store will generally correspond to a large number of other content providers, such as cable television operators, Internet based content providers, television networks, and so on. The media content provider also maintains metadata regarding the video content in the data store. In addition to including information concerning the media content itself—such as format, duration, compression particulars, and so on, the metadata also includes information that associates the video content with the other video content providers. For example, a stored episode of a series shown on the HBO network will be identifiable as corresponding to the HBO network.
The user interface provides context sensitive hints to assist a viewer using a remote control with a touch sensitive pad. The system also tracks a viewer's viewing history in a manner that allows the viewer to review and directly access any part of the viewing history. Contemplated are presentations of the viewing history with full video presentations. Finally, scrubbing video content is enhanced with the creation and use of magnetic points. Magnetic points are created for use during video scrubbing to intelligently select relocation points for the current playback position when a scrubbing operation is stopped. Magnetic points may be created by providers or viewers. In addition, subscriber activity may be monitored to identify video content of particular interest that serves as a basis for magnetic point creation.
These and other embodiments are contemplated and will be appreciated upon reference to the following description and drawings.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but not limited to.
Various units, circuits, or other components may be described as “configured to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to” is a broad recitation of structure generally meaning “having circuitry that” performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the unit/circuit/component can be configured to perform the task even when the unit/circuit/component is not currently on. In general, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to “configured to” may include hardware circuits. Similarly, various units/circuits/components may be described as performing a task or tasks, for convenience in the description. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to.” Reciting a unit/circuit/component that is configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph six, interpretation for that unit/circuit/component.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, one having ordinary skill in the art should recognize that the invention might be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail to avoid obscuring the present invention.
Referring to
As shown in the example, bar 106 includes six images which correspond to subject matter related to the show titled 104 above. As shown, subject matter corresponding to three seasons of the show (“modernfamily”) are depicted. In particular, images corresponding to season 1 (Sea. 1), season 2 (Sea. 2), and season 3 (Sea. 3) are shown. For season 3, separate images are shown to correspond to particular episodes of season 3; namely, episodes 1-4 (Ep. 1-Ep. 4). In various embodiments, the images depicted within the bar 106 may be still images or video corresponding to the related season or episode, movie, or other media content.
Also shown in
While
For example,
In various embodiments, the content shown as being available in block 106 may also be based upon content that is available for viewing (irrespective of whether the viewer has a current subscription for the content), or content that is available based on the viewer's current subscription(s). The approach used to choose what is shown as being available may be programmable (e.g., based on user settings in a set-top box, based on a service provider's preferences, or otherwise) and may be a combination of the above approaches.
As seen in
Also shown in
The previous figures have discussed the television system in terms of conveying content for display on a television. As shown in
As discussed above, in various embodiments a viewer may have a primary subscription and one or more second subscriptions. For example, in
As an example, a viewer may have a cable television subscription (secondary subscription). In addition, the viewer may have a subscription to the service provider associated with the data store (e.g., an iTunes account or similar subscription). The cable television operator (e.g., as shown as a provider 620) broadcasts video content, such as live television and video-on-demand content, 24 hours a day. Data store 600 is configured to record and/or otherwise capture all content broadcast/provided by the cable television operator and store the content as part of the data store 640. For example, data designated “A” in data store 640 may represent video content broadcast and/or otherwise provided or available from the cable television operator. Given the viewer's secondary subscription to the cable television operator service, the viewer's primary subscription to Apple TV (data store 600) entitles the viewer to access all of the content in the data store 640 that corresponds to the cable operator. Consequently, the viewer may view live television broadcasts of the cable television operator, which are provided by the data store 600 rather than the cable television operator. Additionally, as the data store 600 is constantly recording/gathering all of the cable operator content, the viewer may have access to content which was broadcast by the cable television operator a week ago, a month ago, or even a year ago, depending on how long the data store maintains the data and/or has rights to convey the data. It is noted, that as used herein, the term broadcast is not limited to a television broadcast in the traditional sense. Rather, broadcast may refer to conveyance of media content from any content provider or delivery system including Internet based providers, satellite based providers, conveyance of content in a viewer's own media store, or otherwise. Additionally, broadcast may be used to encompass multicast and point-to-point communication as well.
In various embodiments, the data store 600 is in principle generally configured to record all video data everywhere all of the time. In other words, the data store 600 operator may seek to store all video content available for viewing globally. Of course as a practical matter, it may not be possible to capture video content in such an all-encompassing manner. As such, the data store operator may generally seek to capture as much media content (audio and/or video, applications, images, etc.) as possible based on subscriber interests and other factors. Such an approach may seek to include storing all previously available video content anywhere in the world and continuously recording newly available video content that is deemed worthy of capture for business or other purposes. Acquisition of video content may generally necessitate license agreements with various copyright holders and providers. As noted earlier, particular content that has been acquired and resides in the data store 600 may be associated with multiple providers. However, while multiple providers may provide subscribers access to particular video content, it generally will not be the case that the data store 600 operator will need agreements with all such providers in order to acquire the content. Rather, in most cases, video content will have been acquired and stored as part of the content 640. The data store 600 operator will then form agreements with providers 620 which will entitle subscribers with primary subscriptions to the data store service 600 and a given secondary subscription to another service 620 to access secondary subscription available content from the data store 600. Depending on a viewer's secondary subscriptions, content within the data store 600 that is accessible to the viewer will vary. In various embodiments, rather than subscribing to all of a secondary provider's content, viewer's may be able to subscribe to a subset of the content offered by a secondary provider, or to combinations of subsets of content offered by multiple secondary providers. For example, a viewer may subscribe to only a particular network, a particular television series, a particular night of the week (e.g., the Thursday night lineup), subscribe according to varying durations (e.g., just the next two weeks), all shows of a particular genre across multiple secondary content providers (e.g. medical dramas; reality shows; etc.) or all content featuring a particular actor (e.g. all Alec Baldwin content), and so on. Numerous such alternatives are possible and are contemplated.
While the embodiment of
Additionally, the video environment within which the video content is provided (e.g., via a set-top box provided by the primary subscription provider, etc.) is controlled by the primary subscription provider. Such an approach eliminates or minimizes the viewer's need to navigate or otherwise deal with disparate secondary provider environments. To further enhance the viewer's experience, complications associated with managing secondary subscriptions may be managed through the primary subscription. For example, the primary subscription provider may identify content available to a viewer via a secondary subscription. Should the viewer wish to subscribe to the secondary provider, this may be done through the primary subscription service and may even be billed as part of the primary subscription service billing. This may be accomplished via the primary subscription service interface using a consistent visual/graphical approach. In such a manner, the system provides the viewer with a consistent interface and viewing experience.
As illustrated in
Turning now to
Generally speaking in the prior art, a television subscription, such as a cable television subscription, is associated with one or more particular devices (set-top boxes). Such devices are uniquely identified by the cable television operator and communication is established with the device which enables the device to receive programming from the cable operator. In contrast, in various embodiments, primary subscriptions as described herein may be associated with particular subscribers rather than particular devices. Given such an approach, the subscriber's content may follow the subscriber wherever they or their devices may go. The following discussion illustrates these features.
Turning to
In other embodiments, password or other login type information may be entered via a remote control device. Authorization may result in codes or entitlement data being conveyed similar to that discussed above. Still further, in other embodiments, subscribers may have particular mobile devices associated with their subscription. For example, a subscriber's smart phone may be associated with the subscription. In some cases, the smart phone itself may itself be authorized to receive and display subscription based video content. Additionally, the smart phone may be useable as a remote control for a television system. In such an embodiment, the smart phone may be configured to communicate with a television, set-top box, or other video system component. Based on such communication, the set-top box or other device may convey the smart phone data to the primary subscription service provider. If the smart phone is identified as being associated with a valid subscription, then entitlement/authorization type data may be conveyed to the set-top, television, or otherwise, which enables it to receive subscriber 1's subscription based content. Such embodiments would enable the viewing of one's own subscription content at a friend's house. Alternatively, subscription content could follow a subscriber to a hotel room during travel. Numerous such scenarios are possible and are contemplated.
In some embodiments, the feature of having a subscriber's content follow the subscriber and be displayed on another device (e.g., a friend's television or a hotel room television) may be a feature that is provided at an additional cost (e.g., a small monthly fee). Additionally, such a feature (which may be referred to as a “follow me” mode) may be enabled or disabled. For example, in some embodiments, when subscription content follows a subscriber to another location where it is then viewed, that content is not simultaneously viewable in the subscriber's home. In various embodiments, such a mode may be controllable by both a set-top box in the subscriber's home as well as by the subscriber while not at home. If desired, primacy may be given to the set-top box at home. In this manner, content may follow the subscriber away from home, but when someone at the home wishes to access particular subscription based content it is permitted and the follow me mode is temporarily disabled. Numerous such alternatives are possible and are contemplated.
Turning now to
In various embodiments, the set-top box 1300 can optionally exclude mass storage (such as a disk drive or similar DVR type mass storage device) and is not configured to provide access to locally attached mass storage. Rather, sufficient storage for some video buffering, operating system and application memory resident operations, and so on, may be all that is provided. In such an embodiment, the set-top box 1300 is generally configured for video streaming and not video storage. Other embodiments could include or provide access to local mass storage. Mobile device 1360 may be a dedicated remote control device, smart phone, or other device that is configured to communicate with the set-top box 1300. As discussed above, in various embodiments the device 1360 may be identifiable as being associated with a subscriber. Responsive to such identification (e.g., using identification component 1316 and communication with a subscription service), the set-top box may be authorized to receive subscriber content. In other embodiments, biometric data may be entered to the device 1360 (e.g., a fingerprint or voice sample) which is then used for authentication/authorization. Various such embodiments are possible and are contemplated as per the discussion above.
Beginning with block 410, device based identification is initiated. In this embodiment, an identification of the mobile device 1412 is received by the set-top box from the mobile device. While a set-top box is described as the receiving device for purposes of discussion, it is to be understood that the receiving device may be a television with supporting circuitry, a game console with supporting circuitry, or otherwise. Having received the device identifier, an effort to identify the device is undertaken (decision block 1414). Such identification may include communication with the subscription provider which accesses a subscriber database or otherwise to determine if the mobile device is associated with a subscription. In other embodiments, the set-top box may store device identifiers for a certain period of time (e.g., 24 hours) with associated authorization information. In such an embodiment, re-authorization would only be needed once per day or according to some other time interval. In such embodiments, the subscription provider may be able to invalidate such set-top box data at will in order to require re-authorization. If the device is not successfully identified, then default or guest settings 1450 may be used. If the device is successfully identified and it is associated with a valid subscription, then settings that correspond to the subscription may be obtained (e.g., settings for the set-top box environment, settings for the particular user, etc.) (block 1410), and access to the subscription based content is authorized (block 1450).
Alternatively, the path may begin with block 1430 where user based authentication is initiated. In such an embodiment, user identification may be requested by the remote control/mobile device (block 1432). In response, a viewer provides biometric or login type data (block 1432). If the user identification is successful (block 1436), then the method continues with block 1440. Otherwise, default or guest settings may be used (block 1406). User identification may include a process similar to that described in association with block 1414.
Finally, the third approach begins with block 1420 where device based identification is initiated. In this embodiment, the device is first identified (blocks 1422 and 1424). If the device is successfully identified, then an attempt to identify the user is made (block 1426). This may be used to verify that the remote control/mobile device is being used by the rightful owner or otherwise expected user. If both the device and user are properly identified as corresponding to a valid subscription (decision block 1428), then the method proceeds with block 1440. Otherwise, default or guest settings may be used (block 1406). In each of the embodiments, default settings may be configurable and may include disabling access completely, conveying a communication (email, text message, etc.) that indicates the failed attempt, or otherwise.
Turning now to
As discussed above, the primary provider will generally have a great deal of content available for viewing by a given subscriber. The content that is available may be determined in part based on secondary subscriptions of the viewer. As noted, there may be duplication among the secondary subscriptions and/or primary subscription as to available content. Additionally, particular content may be available in many forms.
In the example shown, content may differ as to cost 1602 (viewable for free or viewable for payment of a fee) and quality (HD or SD) 1604. In addition, presentation of content may include presentation with advertisements (ADs) or without ADs 1606. With only these variables, given content may correspond to one of eight different forms/presentations as shown by the tree 1610. In this case, the eight possibilities are:
Given these possibilities, a viewer may have various preferences regarding how the given content is prioritized when either being presented as being available or when being selected for viewing. For example, a viewer may give a higher priority to free content over paid content. Also, HD content may be given priority over SD content, and so on. Using such preferences, selections from available content may be made for presentation to the viewer or when particular content is selected for viewing. In addition to such preferences, additional factors 1608 may be used to determine which content is provided to a viewer. For example, bandwidth considerations may affect the selection of content. If it is determined that the bandwidth to the viewer's device is limited, HD content may be disfavored (at least temporarily) until the condition eases. In such a case, the options indicated by 1620 and 1622 in
Given the available content options and factors 1740, the algorithm 1730 selects one or more of the options for presentation to the viewer. Such a process may be repeated as need to generate a plurality of items for presentation to a viewer (e.g., a number of episodes of a given series).
In the following discussion, various embodiments of the operation of a receiving device and interface are shown. Generally speaking, the embodiments described in the following figures are configured to operate with the embodiments in the foregoing description. It is further noted that the following described embodiments may be implemented in association with other video content delivery systems. For example, the following embodiments may be utilized in association with traditional cable or satellite television systems, special purpose set top boxes (e.g., Roku type boxes), Internet video providers, and so on. All such embodiments are contemplated.
Also shown in the lower portion of the display 1800 is a “scrubber” bar 1806 and channel bar 1890. In various embodiments, scrubber bar 1806 and channel bar 1810 are graphic overlay elements generated by a set-top box on top of the video content 1801. In the example shown, channel bar 1810 includes a central portion or element which corresponds to the currently displayed video content (an episode of the Modern Family television episode). This central portion includes a title 1820 for the currently depicted television series (Modern Family), and title 1822 of the currently depicted episode (Election Day). Also included in the central portion is a small image 1802 that corresponds to the currently depicted video content. In various embodiments, this image 1802 may be a still image, video content, animation, or otherwise corresponding to the television series or the particular episode. Also shown in the central portion is a beginning time indicator 1840 (8:00 PM) for the currently depicted video content. The central portion also includes an identification 1830 of the channel to which the currently displayed channel bar corresponds.
The central portion 1810 of the channel bar is separated from a first portion 1812 by a first separator 1805, and a second portion 1814 by a second separator 1807. The first portion includes the designation “Previous” and includes an image 1801 of a television program which immediately preceded the currently displayed content on the channel identified by the indicator 1830 (the same channel as the currently displayed content). The second portion 1814 includes an image 1803 that corresponds to the television program that immediately follows the currently displayed content on the identified channel 1830. The second portion also includes a time indicator 1850 (8:30 PM) which indicates at what time the television program identified in the second portion 1814 begins. In general, these time indications may serve to indicate the duration of the corresponding video content. Other embodiments may include an explicit duration indication in the channel bar for each element/show depicted. The scrubber bar 1806 includes a current position indicator 1860 that is used to indicate the current position of the displayed content 1801 within the television program identified in the central portion 1890 of the channel bar. Also shown is a time indicator 1862 that corresponds to the current position indicator 1860. In the present example, the video content 1801 is that of a live television broadcast. As such, the scrubber bar to the left of the position indicator 1860 has a different appearance from that of the scrubber bar to the right of the position indicator 1860. The lighter colored portion to the left of the indicator 1860 indicates already broadcast content. As the content has already been broadcast, it is possible to rewind back into that content. The darker colored portion of the scrubber bar to the right of the position indicator 1860 indicates content which has not yet been broadcast. Consequently, it is generally not possible to fast forward to such (future) content. However, in various embodiments as will be discussed later, such “future” content may be immediately viewable.
In various embodiments, the display shown in
A viewer's secondary subscription entitles the viewer to access particular content stored in the primary provider's server farm that represents the cable television subscription content. The content actually provided to the viewer may not have been obtained from the cable television operator—it is of no importance to the primary provider. The content in this case is fungible as to its source. Similarly, the content depicted as the previous television program 1812 and the content depicted as the next television program 1814 are likewise fungible as to source. If the viewer rewinds into the “Previous” content 1812, the content displayed may in fact be video content that was recorded and stored in the server farm a year ago (e.g., assuming the episode was a rerun and was originally broadcast at least a year ago). From the perspective of the viewer, they had simply rewound to buffered content that was broadcast within the last hour. Additionally, the content itself may have actually been acquired from a cable television or other operator other than the one to which the viewer has a subscription. In each case, the original source of the video content is unimportant to the primary provider. All content is provided directly by the primary provider, and sources of content are relevant to the extent that they are used to identify content available according to a given secondary subscription. Similarly, the next television program 1814 may be obtained by the primary provider from a source other than the subscribed cable television operator. In the embodiment of
Turning now to
As shown in
In the Favorite Channels 2030 portion of the display, four channel elements 2050-2053 (“channels”) are displayed—each showing video content for the corresponding channel. The display of the channels is that of a miniature display with an aspect ratio that corresponds to a typical television. As may be appreciated, the size and aspect ratio of the depicted channels may differ from that shown. Additionally, the number of “channels” shown may be more than four, or fewer than four. For example, a large number of such channels may be depicted by making each of the channel depictions smaller. It is also noted that not all such channel depictions need be the same size. In various embodiments, some may be larger than the others. All such alternative embodiments are contemplated. The video content being shown for each channel may be live broadcast video, for example, or otherwise.
In the embodiment shown, each channel depiction includes not only video content for the corresponding channel, but also a description at the lower part of the depiction which identifies the television series to which the video content corresponds, an episode number for the television show, a title for the particular television show, and an identification of the channel. For example, channel element 2051 provides the series title Game of Thrones, with episode 8 (Ep. 8) entitled “The Prince of Winterfell” currently being displayed. The channel identifier identifies the corresponding channel as HBO. It is noted that in this discussion, and elsewhere in the described embodiments, various embodiments may permit the viewer to configure the system such that video may or may not be displayed. For example, in some cases, it may not be desirable to have video displayed which would include “spoilers”. In various embodiments, the system may be configured so that only animations, still pictures, or “innocuous” (non-spoiling) video is displayed. In some cases, it may be configurable based on category. For example, the viewer may not wish to see video displayed for sports events which may give away the winner/winning team. In other embodiments, the viewer may wish to see the video for multiple sporting events at a time so that all may be watched simultaneously. All such embodiments are contemplated.
In the My Shows 2040 portion of the display, eight television show elements are depicted. In this example, the television shows are depicted in a manner similar to that of the channels discussed above, and may vary in their depictions according to the above discussion as well. In the embodiment shown, each of the favorite shows depicts artwork for the corresponding show. However, as above, video or other content may be displayed. For each of the eight shows depicted, the lower portion of the depicted show includes descriptive information including a title of the show, how many seasons of the show (television series) are available for viewing, how many total episodes are available for viewing, and an identifier for the channel which carries the show. For example, the show in the upper left portion of My Shows 2040 depicts the Mad Men television show. Artwork representative of the television show is depicted. The title “Mad Men” is provided along with an indication that 5 seasons and 65 episodes are available for viewing. The identified channel in this case is AMC.
It is noted that while the example of
In various embodiments, the focus may itself move and as the focus attempts to move beyond the edge of the display, new content is brought into view. For example, element 2210 is show to currently have focus as depicted by the bold border. This focus may be movable to element 2209. An effort to move to element 2208 (which is partially off of the display) may cause element 2208 to move to the right—potentially bring other content into view. Alternatively, the focus itself may be fixed in the center as shown. In such an embodiment, moving the focus actually moves the underlying content right or left. A move to the right may move element 2211 (Top Gear) into focus.
Turning now to
As previously discussed, the systems described herein are generally agnostic as to a source of particular video content and as to a timing of its acquisition. Consequently, the constraints suggested by a typical EPG and television system and are no longer present. The television service provider which provides an EPG does so to inform the viewer as to the broadcast lineup and when particular content will be available for viewing. In this manner, the viewer can view or record the content for later viewing as desired. However, in the embodiment of
While the NOVA episode is a repeat, the Suburgatory episode is not a repeat. The question may then arise as to how an episode which has not yet been broadcast can be immediately available for viewing. The answer lies in the record everything all the time design of the primary provider system. The Suburgatory episode is scheduled for broadcast beginning at 8:30 PM in a given time zone. However, in the present case, the episode has already aired in an earlier time zone. The content already resides in the primary provider's data stores and is immediately available for viewing. It is noted that in some cases agreements may be in place which prevent such “early viewing” of an episode. Such agreements may require that live broadcast episodes such as these be viewable during their “proper” time slots. Nevertheless, the systems described herein are fully capable of providing such early viewing and identifying such episodes in an EPG. Also shown in
Turning now to
In the embodiment shown, selection of the Friends element 2512 causes the display of a Friends 2530 category and a Your Friends Watch 2540 category. The friends category in this example includes a composite element 2550 representative of all of a viewer's friends (or some identified subset), along with selected individual friends 2551-2553 (e.g., these could be the closest friends, those most recently active in the system, those currently online, etc.). In various embodiments, friends may establish a profile within the television system that includes a picture, avatar, or other self-representation. While the Friends category 2530 depicts various friends of a viewer, the Your Friends Watch category 2540 depicts various television shows that are watched by the viewer's friends. In the example shown, artwork for each show is presented. However, other embodiments may display video (live or otherwise) for the given show. Also shown in the example of
In various embodiments, selection of an element such as the element 2710 of
Returning again to the Friends content depiction 3100,
Turning now to
Generally speaking, in various embodiments, the My Stuff category includes content that a viewer has identified as being reserved or otherwise set apart (collected) for easy access. This category may also include content rented or purchased by the viewer. In
Also shown is a My TV Shows category 3240. In various embodiments, these shows have been identified by the viewer as being flagged or otherwise identified for inclusion as part of the viewer's My Stuff. For example, these could represent favorite shows of the viewer. In various embodiments, artwork, video (live or otherwise), is shown for each show element. In some embodiments, particular video highlight clips may run. Finally, a My Movies category 3250 is shown. In the example shown, the corresponding elements extend beyond the bottom of the display. Accordingly, the viewer will scroll or page down to view the content. In this case, the content represents movies the viewer has identified for inclusion.
As noted in the side bar 3210, various subcategories are available under the My Stuff category 3260. In some embodiments, providing focus to one of these subcategories will cause the corresponding content displayed to the right to be filtered accordingly. For example, selection of the Sport subcategory 3261 will cause the On Now category 3220 to display sports that are currently being broadcast. Likewise, the Featured 3230, My TV Shows 3240, and My Movies 3250 categories will likewise be filtered to show sports related feature content, TV shows, and movies. In a similar manner, the subcategories Kids 3262 and News 3263 may be selected to cause the related content to be filtered for kids and news subject matter, respectively. These and other subcategories are possible and are contemplated. In various embodiments, these categories may be created by the viewer based on predefined selections. For example, numerous provider created subcategories may be chosen from for inclusion in the side bar by the viewer. In other embodiments, viewers may create, name, and define their own subcategories. Such viewer created subcategories may be made available to other viewers for inclusion in their own side bar user interfaces. All such embodiments are contemplated.
In various embodiments, the Recommendations category (described here and elsewhere) may be context sensitive based on the particular viewer identified as currently watching. For example, in various embodiments the system may account for multiple viewers in a single household. Identification of a particular viewer could be based on input received from the viewer, biometric data (e.g., thumbprint on a remote control device, voice recognition, face recognition, and so on. Additionally, the context may include the time of day. For example, more mature content may not be recommended earlier in the day when kids are more likely to be present. Various such embodiments are possible and are contemplated.
In various embodiments, selection of the element 3500 causes the display of a landing page for the Mad Men television show as shown in
Approximately along the middle of the landing page are a number of categories selectable by a viewer to access additional information. In the example shown is a Madmen 3610 category that in this case may be selected/highlighted to display additional information regarding a current episode of the television show. Other categories to be discussed further below include Seasons 3612, Extras 3614, Cast 3616, and Related 3618. As shown, the MadMen category is currently highlighted and causes the display of information regarding an episode entitled “Commissions and Fees” 3620. Further information 3622 indicates this is episode 12 of season 5 of the series, and has an air date of 6/27/12. Also noted is 8 friends have indicated that they like this show. A brief description 3624 is provided along with video/picture/artwork 3604 for the series or episode as well. Also provided are graphic elements 3630, 3632 and 3634 which may be selected by the viewer. Selection of the Play element 3630 may cause the depicted episode to be presented. Selection of the My Stuff element 3632 may be selected to add the series and/or episode to the viewer's My Stuff category (as previously discussed). Finally, the Like element 3634 may be selected to indicate to viewer's likes the series and/or episode.
Turning now to
Finally,
Also shown in
Turning now to
It is noted that while content provided via landing pages such as this may be content deliberately prepared for consumption (e.g., such as extras found on a DVD), in various embodiments content may be provided that has been extracted or otherwise generated and/or compiled by the provider or other sources. For example, by processing the video content and associated metadata, particular elements of video content may be identified which may not already be identifiable via original metadata. Examples include identifying a funny sketch in a television show and generating new metadata that identifies this particular content. Other examples include identifying highlights in sporting events, etc. Other examples for identifying particular content may be based on viewer activity. For example, if it is observed that many viewers are rewinding and repeatedly watching a particular segment of some video content, metadata may be generated which identifies this particular segment. The segment could then be included as available content for viewers generally. In such an embodiment, the particular segment could be said to be identified via crowdsourcing. All such embodiments are contemplated.
Turning to
As previously discussed, there are situations where a viewer does not want to know the current score of a game. Accordingly, in various embodiments the system may be configurable to blackout the box score 4924. In addition, the content 4950 may likewise be prevented from providing video of the game which may include an indication of the score. As shown, an element 4930 is provided to permit the viewer to begin viewing the game. In various embodiments, selecting the element 4930 may immediately “tune to” presentation of the game in progress. Embodiments are also contemplated which permit play from the beginning of the game as well.
Embodiments are further contemplated which permit a viewer to also prevent incoming comments (e.g., in various embodiments the systems described herein may include the ability for friends to provide text messages or other comments to one another, see social media comments, etc.) which might otherwise spoil the outcome of a game. For example, a do not disturb or other setting may be available to control such content. Also shown are elements 4932 which permit the viewer to add the content to their My Stuff collection, and an element 4934 to permit a viewer to indicate they like the content.
As noted above, in some cases the viewer may restrict such content so that the outcome of a game is not spoiled. In various embodiments, selection of a future event such as a sporting event 5414, television show, movie, or otherwise, may present an option for the viewer to receive a reminder when the content airs. Such reminders could be provided via the television display, smartphone (email, text message), or any other mode desired.
Turning now to
The Top Movies 5504 category includes display of movies which are highly rated, being promoted, or otherwise. My Movies 5506 represents a collection of movies which the viewer has added to their My Stuff collection. Finally, the Recommendations category 5508 provides recommended movies to the viewer. Such movies may be recommended based on the viewer's profile, history, friend's likes, or otherwise. As before, each of the elements may be selectable to cause the display of further content. In this example, element 5508 has focus and is selected by the viewer which causes the display shown in
Finally,
Turning now to
Traditionally, remote control devices include dedicated buttons which are labeled to identify their functionality. However, in an embodiment which utilizes a touch pad 5920 such as that shown in
In the embodiment shown, the system includes the ability to present hints to a viewer as to what functions may be performed with the remote control 5910. For example, display 5901 currently shows four “hints” which overlay the video content. These hints are info 5902, guide 5908, reverse/rewind 5904, and fast forward 5906. In this embodiment, these hints indicate to the viewer what function will be performed by the remote control 5910 should the viewer touch their finger to the corresponding position on the touch pad 5920. For example, by touching the upper portion of the touch pad 5920, the viewer may cause the display of “info” 5902 which may correspond to additional information regarding the currently displayed video content (e.g., episode, season, series information, etc.). By touching the lower portion of the touch pad 5920, the viewer may cause the display (bring up) the channel bar or program guide. Touching the left side portion of the touch pad may cause the video content to reverse 5904, and touching the right side portion of the touch pad 5920 may cause the video content to fast forward 5906.
In various embodiments, the viewer may cause such hints to be displayed by gently resting their finger on the touch pad 5920. Other embodiments are possible and are contemplated for causing hints to be displayed (e.g., a different touch pad gestures, voice command in an embodiment in which the remote control, television or set top box is configured to receive voice input, etc.). In some embodiments, the system may have a tutorial mode in which varying levels of information are automatically provided to the viewer. For example, in some embodiments hints may be automatically displayed (e.g., for a few seconds) when the context changes.
In some embodiments, a particular area of the touch pad 5920 may be designated for the purpose of displaying hints. In other embodiments, anywhere on the touch pad 5920 could serve such a purpose. Some embodiments may be programmable by the viewer so that they can customize the behavior of the remote control to their liking. As noted above, the functions performed in response to a particular action (e.g., touch pad gesture) may depend on the current context.
For example,
Finally,
As previously noted, the hints displayed, and the corresponding functionality, may depend on the current context. Such context may be what type of video content is currently being displayed—movie, sports, television show, landing page, and so on. The context may correspond to whether the side bar is currently displayed, the epg is currently displayed, or the channel bar is currently displayed. Numerous such alternatives may be chosen to represent different contexts for the purposes of remote control functionality.
In addition to the above, different portions of the touch pad may be used to access different functions. A simple example may be to divide the touch pad into quadrants.
Turning now to
In example above, there is no indication as to how long any given content was viewed. In some embodiments, any channel traversed may be included. In others, simply changing channels a number of time may be effectively ignored by only including content in the history if it was viewed for some minimum amount of time (e.g., 30 seconds, 5 minutes, etc.). This may be configurable by the viewer as desired. All such embodiments are contemplated. Item 6619 in the example is Finding Nemo with a descriptor of VOD (Video on Demand). Item 6620 is Word Battle with descriptor APP (Application). As shown by the inclusion of the application 6620, the history need not be limited to video content viewing. In addition to the above, in various embodiments information other than that shown in
In the example of
It is noted that in these example there are twelve items included in the ring based history. In one embodiment, the history may be limited in such a manner as desired. For example, the viewer may configured the circular type display of
In some embodiments, the central item 7410 may include the depiction of several items from the earlier history. For example, several small video depictions may be simultaneously displayed. In some embodiments, the viewer selects item 7410 to gain access to earlier items. In some embodiments, the viewer can directly select one of the presented mini-displays to directly access the corresponding content. In still further embodiments, the viewer may be able to zoom in on item 7410 to view the displayed content. Numerous such embodiments are possible and are contemplated.
As discussed above, in various embodiments a scrubber bar is provided which enables a viewer to fast forward, rewind, and so on, as is typical. In the following discussion, various embodiments are described which include an intelligent scrubber.
Assuming such an embodiment with the magnetic points mentioned above, if a viewer is scrubbing along and stops near one of these magnetic points, the nearest magnetic point is identified, and the current position indicator automatically moves to that location in the video content and begins play from that position.
It is noted that viewer's may often want to scrub to locations that do not necessarily correspond to the beginning of a show or the end of an advertisement. Consequently, it may be desirable to permit some freedom in scrubbing while still providing magnetic attractions in appropriate cases.
As an example, assume the middle scrubber 7720 represents the same scrubber 7710 during a reverse operation as indicated by the rewind symbol 7722. Assume then that the scrubber position indicator enters the region of influence of magnetic point 7712 (e.g., at one of positions 7721) when scrubbing is stopped. As the position indicator is within the region of influence of the magnetic point, the position indicator is attracted to the magnetic point and automatically positions itself at that location 7731. In such an embodiment where magnetic points may have a limited region of influence, a viewer may be free to scrub where desired. Only when stopping near one of these points (e.g., a location predicted to be where the viewer may have been attempting to scrub to) does the position relocate to one of these magnetic points.
Similarly, 7820 shows an expanded version of the time period 8:07-8:08. Here we see another magnetic point at 8:07:21 that was not previously visible. Whether or not a magnetic point is visible may depend on the context. For example, when scrubbing at a high rate of speed, top level magnetic points such as those shown in the 8:00-8:30 time period may be active. Similarly, when scrubbing across episodes in a season, only magnetic points for the beginning of episodes may be active. When scrubbing at a slower rate of speed, other magnetic points such as those shown at 8:09 or 8:07:21 may be active.
In addition to the above, activation of magnetic points at various levels may be configurable by a viewer. For example, a viewer may display a hint which indicates magnetic points may be set at any of levels 1-5. Level 1 could be the least granular (e.g., simply identifies the beginning of shows), while 5 could corresponding to the greatest granularity (e.g., the 8:07:21 example of
In addition to the above, such magnetic points may also be stored by the provider for use in identifying popular magnetic points, trending magnetic points (i.e., a sudden surge of interest in some particular content), or otherwise.
In various embodiments, subscriber activity may be used by the provider to create magnetic points. For example, if it is observed that many subscribers are rewinding and re-watching particular content repeatedly, this may indicate the subscribers have identified content particularly interesting. Based on this data 8120 the provider may then create a magnetic point which is then identified to the subscribers (e.g., as a popular or trending magnetic points). In addition, provider 8110 may also create magnetic points as part of its service to its subscribers. Such processing may include video/metadata processing units 8130 to analyze video content and create metadata identifying magnetic points.
The client media device 8201 may communicate with an online media store 8220 through the network 8284 to receive information for displaying a user interface showing various media content available for delivery to the client media device. Each piece of media content may be referred to as a “media production.” Examples of media productions include various kinds of movies and films, television programs, music videos, albums/songs, etc. In general, a given media production may include any kind of content that includes video and/or audio information.
In some embodiments the online media store may be coupled to or may include a media integration system 8210 which integrates media productions from a plurality of third-party content provider systems, such as the content providers CP 8212-8215. Each of the content provider systems may be managed by or affiliated with any kind of company or organization, such as cable or satellite television providers, television networks or channels, movie studios, sporting leagues, news organizations, music labels, online media services, etc. Thus, the user interface displayed by the client media device may aggregate the media productions available from many different content providers or sources, and may provide a convenient way for the user to see the content from different providers in an integrated view.
In various embodiments the client media device may communicate with the online media store 8220 through any kind of network 8284. The network 8284 may include any type of network or combination of networks. For example, the network 8284 may include any type or combination of local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), wireless networks, an Intranet, the Internet, etc. Examples of local area networks include Ethernet networks, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) networks, and token ring networks.
In the illustrated embodiment the client media device is coupled to the network 8284 via Ethernet hardware or Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) hardware 8286, which in turn couples to a cable modem 8285. In other embodiments the client media device may be coupled to the network 8284 via any other type of wired or wireless connection medium or device. For example, wired mediums may include Ethernet, fiber channel, a modem, etc. Wireless connection mediums may include a wireless connection using a wireless communication protocol such as IEEE 802.11 (wireless Ethernet), a modem link through a cellular service, a satellite link, etc.
The client media device may include one or more storage devices 8207 configured to store data. At least one of the storage devices 8207 may include non-volatile memory configured to persistently store data. In various embodiments the storage device(s) may include one or more disk drives, solid state drives, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, or any other kinds of devices for storing data. In some embodiments the storage device(s) may also include various kinds of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), e.g., synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), etc.
Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) data 8203 may be periodically delivered to the client media device 8201 via a software interface 8205. The software interface 8205 may include any kind of programming interface or messaging interface that enables the client media device to communicate with an external system to receive the EPG data 8203 or other data. As one example, the software interface 8205 may include a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) interface. As another example, the software interface 8205 may include a URL-based interface that enables the client media device to perform various functions or exchange information by referencing uniform resource locators (URLs) with particular parameters embedded in them.
The client media device may store the EPG data 8203 on the storage device(s) 8207. For example, one or more databases 8209 may be stored on the storage device 8207, and the EPG data 8203 may be stored in one or more of the databases. The EPG data 8203 may include information about television programming, such as the listing of programs, their scheduled times, the channel lineup, images associated with the programs, etc. The EPG data 8203 may be customized for the particular user of the client media device 8201. For example, if the user subscribes to some subscription-based content providers, but not others, then the EPG data 8203 may include information for only the programs or media productions offered by the providers to which the user subscribes.
The database(s) 8209 may also store other information, such as personalization information for the user(s) of the client media device 8201. The personalization information may include the user's favorite programs or channels, list of recently viewed content, stored play positions for various media content, watch lists, bookmarks, etc.
The client media device may be configured to receive user input from a remote control device 8239 via an interface 8228. The remote control device may use infrared communication, Bluetooth communication, or any of various other kinds of wireless or wired communication techniques to transmit signals to the client media device indicating the user input.
In some embodiments the client media device may be configured to communicate with the media integration system 8210 and/or the online media store 8220 through a voice interface system 8222. For example, in some embodiments the remote control device or the client media device may include a microphone device 8224 that receives speech from the user, e.g., where the speech includes commands, requests, questions, etc. The client media device may convert the speech into digital packets for transmission over the network 84 to the voice interface system 8222. The voice interface system may perform speech recognition to recognize the user's commands or questions. The voice interface system may communicate with the online media store 8220 and/or the media integration system 8210 to pass the user's commands or questions on to them via an interface. The online media store 8220 and/or the media integration system 8210 may then generate information in response to the user's commands or questions and return it to the client media device (or return it to the voice interface system, which may then forward it to the client media device). For example, the user may request to lookup a television program having a certain title or actor, and the system may return information that the client media device uses to display a list of programs matching the title or actor.
In various embodiments the information transmitted from the online media store or voice interface system to the client media device may include any kind of information useable by the client media device to display information regarding the media content available for delivery to the client media device. For example, in some embodiments the system may utilize Extensible Markup Language (XML) code or other markup language code which describes the information to be displayed. The client media device may parse the XML code and display a user interface based on the described information. In some embodiments the system may also transmit graphics files or video feeds which the client media device may incorporate into the user interface.
In some embodiments the client media device may also communicate with a mobile computing device 8240, e.g., where the user may hold the mobile device. For example, the mobile device 8240 may be a handheld computing device, wearable computing device, or other portable computing device. Examples of mobile devices include smartphones, tablet computers, personal digital assistants, portable music players, handheld game devices, wearable computers (e.g., glasses watches), etc. In some embodiments the user may control the client media device 8201 using the mobile device 8240, e.g., using the mobile device 8240 as a remote control. In some embodiments the client media device may also forward the media content received from the online media store 8220 or media integration system 8210 to the mobile device 8240, e.g., so that it can be displayed on a display device included in the mobile device 8240. In other embodiments the mobile device 8240 may communicate directly with the online media store 8220 and/or the media integration system 8210, e.g., without going through the client media device 8201 as an intermediate. The client media device may also be included as a component within the mobile device in some embodiments, and/or the mobile device may be configured to perform the functions described with reference to the client media device.
The client media device may be configured to utilize digital rights management (DRM) techniques to ensure that the user is authorized to receive and view selected media content. For example, the client media device may include an authorization module 8251 configured to communicate with one or more remote servers to implement the digital rights management for the media content. In various embodiments the client media device may communicate with servers associated with any of various systems or organizations in order to implement the digital rights management, such as one or more servers in the online media store 8220 or the content provider systems whose media productions are integrated by the media integration system 8210.
In the above discussion, various embodiments have been described. It is noted that these embodiments may be combined in any manner desired. In various embodiments, program instructions of a software application may be used to implement the methods and/or mechanisms previously described. The program instructions may be stored on a computer readable storage medium. Numerous types of storage media are available. The storage medium may be accessible by a computer or other processing device during use to provide the program instructions and accompanying data to the computer or device for program execution.
Although the embodiments above have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.
Van Os, Marcel, Lemay, Stephen O., Chaudhri, Imran, Bachman, William M., Howard, Joe, Kress, Lynne, Coffman, Patrick L., Christie, Gregory N., Robbin, Jeffrey, Ma, Jeffrey, Sabatelli, Alessandro, Young, Jim
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